Craptastic Toy Selection

[My3cents]

It has to be in the air! Clean out of toys and just the feeling of wanting to spruce up.


My advice is this.....simple Clean what you have, and replace it differently.

If I move toys or put them together after a mixing of the pieces- they think they are new and play differently. It gives them a new perspective of play.

I am working on down sizing and getting rid of junk toys. I don't need three big totes of kitchen play. Next will be books,doll house,puzzles, cars and what not I am finding less is more

Another idea to get toys is to ask your parents. If you have any toys your getting rid of because of Christmas let me know. Parents love donating and helping out. Garage sales is a great way to add toys to your daycare.

Best-

[Crystal]

for the babies, make discovery bottles. Use empty water bottles, put beads/misc. in them, fill with water, add a few drops of food color and glue the caps on. You can also do this without water, use rice, beans etc and make music instruments.

use coffee cans (or any cans with plastic lids) decorate the outside, put fabric strips inside, cut a slit in the lid, pull one piece of fabric part way through (like tissue) The little ones love to pull out all of the fabric and put it back in. The fabric also ends up used for other stuff.

make blocks.....wrap boxes in shipping (or even wrapping) paper

go on a nature walk with the children and collect stuff you find outdoors....acorns, pinecones, pieces of driftwood/small branches, etc. Add to the block or science area for props in play with blocks or add a couple of magnifying glasses for investgation.

go through your closet and use any old dresses, jackets, shoes, etc. in your dramatic play space

if you have old stuffed animals that don't get used, cut a slit in the back of the necks, remove all of the stuffing and you have puppets!

[Blackcat31]

Use a bin and put beans in it with spoons and cups my daycare kids love this

Just an FYI, but if you use red kidney beans, please stop.

They can be toxic if ingested and handled when raw. I can't find my article about sensory bins and kidney beans but just google it.

[crazydaycarelady]

I bought 4 yards of silky fabirc at JoAnns after Halloween when it was on clearance and then I hemed around the edges. The kids love them. They use them for capes, doll blankets, games on the floor, and just about everything else.

[daycare]

toys..... not toys needed to have a fun and exciting day

here is what we are doing this week and it wont cost you a dime...


pine cone hunt

stick hunt and then will sort by size shape and color

building a bears den and igloo out of cardboard boxes

we are also building a fort this week too...


Every march, we will have an inventors week and will not allow any store bought toys into our daycare..

I think that you could get really really creative if you just put your mind to it...


dramatic play really does not need a lot of toys either...


as for stories, have the kids help you write your own and then read them to them...

sorry, hope I did not repeat what everyone else said.....

[LK5kids]

Older kids love discovery bottles too! I have had kids put them in strollers and push them around like they were babies! I also second cardboard boxes.

I just opened and people keep calling to give me stuff! I hadn't asked for any donations but they fell out of the sky! After Christmas many people are looking to downsize toys. I'd let people know you are looking for some donations. You might be surprised how many people have toys to give away! I had a friend give me large box of books in perfect shape a few weeks ago and another friend called and also said she had a large box of books.

It has gotten to the point that I had to give some things to Goodwill!

Good luck!

[daycaremom76]

Thanks for the freecycle.org link! I just signed up and there is a lot of stuff on there!

This is usually my go to place when looking for something specific! People seem to love helping when they know it's going to a good cause and not going to be resold! I have people on there that I've gotten stuff from that still shoot me emails and let me know they are getting rid of............blah blah blah! And there are people on there getting rid of craft stuff all the time too!

[daycare]

This is usually my go to place when looking for something specific! People seem to love helping when they know it's going to a good cause and not going to be resold! I have people on there that I've gotten stuff from that still shoot me emails and let me know they are getting rid of............blah blah blah! And there are people on there getting rid of craft stuff all the time too!

same here....love freecycle

I once scored an entire classroom of stuff from a retired kinder teacher....I almost cried when she gave it to me.

[sharlan]

Do you have a local resource and referral program near you? Ours has toys that they lend out.

[SunnyDay]

What great suggestions you have received!

I would also suggest rotating toys, pack up a few of the things you have and put them out of sight for awhile. When the kids haven't seen things for a week or two it's amazing how they flock to them.

[theycallmetaytor]

What great suggestions you have received!

I would also suggest rotating toys, pack up a few of the things you have and put them out of sight for awhile. When the kids haven't seen things for a week or two it's amazing how they flock to them.

I actually do do this every once in a while. They love it. Lol.

I actually do have a freecycle and have posted for things but never get any hits. The freecycle in my area is pretty dead usually. I posted on craigslist a couple of days ago and haven't received 1 email.

I intend to try a couple of these ideas and a couple that I came up with based on the ideas. And I have a couple of little helpers! I'm excited!

[LK5kids]

Also, is it possibly to budget $1.00 or $2,00 a week for a new toy? I know you said $$$ was tight. Do you have a second hand thrift store in your area?

I just opened and about once a week I would stop in at our thrift store in town. Now to the untrained eye it looks like a pile of craptastic toys also! But I scan carefully and usually find at least one decent toy if not more. I spend anywhere from 50 cents to $3.00. If you found something each week, it wouldn't be long before your selection would be upgraded.

I have had people say, How do you find anything there....you have such good luck. It just looks like a pile of junk to me. I love the thrill of the hunt and sometimes I don't find much, but I always find something even if it's a small item.
Even with it being somewhat crappy I think their prices are higher than rummage sales, but I don't have to use gas and time running all over. Also, I live in a cold state....no rummage sales after Sept.

[coolconfidentme]

Our county has a sale page on FaceBook. I posted a request for free or cost effective child's toys & got tons of free GOOD stuff!

[theycallmetaytor]

Also, is it possibly to budget $1.00 or $2,00 a week for a new toy? I know you said $$$ was tight. Do you have a second hand thrift store in your area?

I just opened and about once a week I would stop in at our thrift store in town. Now to the untrained eye it looks like a pile of craptastic toys also! But I scan carefully and usually find at least one decent toy if not more. I spend anywhere from 50 cents to $3.00. If you found something each week, it wouldn't be long before your selection would be upgraded.

I have had people say, How do you find anything there....you have such good luck. It just looks like a pile of junk to me. I love the thrill of the hunt and sometimes I don't find much, but I always find something even if it's a small item.
Even with it being somewhat crappy I think their prices are higher than rummage sales, but I don't have to use gas and time running all over. Also, I live in a cold state....no rummage sales after Sept.

This is actually a very good idea! There are quite a few thrift stores around here. I've never looked at the toys they've got but I think I will Saturday.


Thanks for all the great ideas! You guys rock!happyface

[Blackcat31]

Almost all my past and current families call me first when they are downsizing or cleaning out their kids' toys. I have scored some awesome things from them!

Last year a family I had had through all 3 of their child who are now all in school, gave me a GIANT rubbermaid tote full of Fisher Price Imaginex dinosaurs which are super expensive! There were over 30 dinosaurs WITH accessories in the tote.

The year before a family gave me a Little Tike Cozy Coupe and a Little Tikes Pick-up truck.